The growing popularity of the social network web site Facebook is important in understanding how these type of sites can be effective in supporting peer based or social network fundraising. Facebook and other social network sites include new forms of online communication and interaction that allow individuals to define, organize, interact and monitor their social network.

Originally focused on a university audience, Facebook is now growing rapidly beyond this target market. It may still be used primarily by university students and recently graduated students, although the fact that over 500K people using Facebook have joined a group titled ‘Toronto, Ontario’ indicates that either Facebook is becoming significant and reaching a critical mass, or that Toronto has become a very popular city to identify with.